Bekaert has been selected for funding of up to €23.6 million from the EU Innovation Fund 2023 for its project “Grand Piano”, securing clean tech manufacturing in Europe. The grant selection will facilitate essential product and process innovation for electrolysis stacks, the heart of green hydrogen production systems. Separately, a partnership made recently with Toshiba Energy Systems supports Bekaert’s ambitions to continue its advancements in hydrogen technology.
Active in the hydrogen sector for over 20 years, Bekaert has established a technology and market leadership position in metal fiber media. Its Currento product is used as a porous transport layer (PTL) in electrolyzers producing green hydrogen. Now the company aims to expand its product portfolio through the new project in Belgium that includes both product innovation and manufacturing process innovation.
Grand Piano aims to establish an automated gigawatt-scale production line for proton exchange membrane (PEM) porous transport layers (PTL) and pioneer the first worldwide commercial production of anion exchange membrane (AEM) PTL. Simultaneously, Bekaert will transition from being a component supplier to offering integrated solutions. The plan is to introduce breakthrough technology for membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), which will enable a 90% reduction in iridium usage in the production of PEM electrolyzers, making them more cost-competitive and less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
Once realized, the project will enable the deployment of up to 39 GW for PEM and AEM technologies in the first ten years. The anticipated greenhouse gas avoidance is projected to reach 11.7 million tons in the initial years of operation. The final investment decision will depend on the adoption rate of the new technologies and market dynamics.
“The transition to alternative energy sources is crucial to meet the challenges of climate change,” said Edouard d’Autume, VP Hydrogen at Bekaert. “We are grateful for the support by the EU Innovation fund as this grant will accelerate our contribution towards more competitive green hydrogen production at scale. Grand Piano has the ambition to secure clean tech manufacturing in Europe. Together with our partners, we aim to enable end-users to faster adopt green hydrogen-based solutions.”
The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programs for the deployment of innovative net-zero and low-carbon technologies and aims to help businesses invest in clean energy and bring technologies to market that can decarbonize European industry.
Bekaert and Toshiba partnership advanced
Earlier, in February 2024, Bekaert formalized its collaboration with Toshiba Energy Systems related to MEA. The companies forged a partnership which includes a strategic cooperation agreement, and a manufacturing technology license for MEA, formalizing recent cooperation to leverage both companies’ technological, manufacturing and commercial strengths since signing a memorandum of understanding in September 2023.
Under the agreement, Bekaert’s expertise in PTL will be coupled with Toshiba’s innovative iridium-saving technology for MEA, which will enable a 90% reduction in iridium usage in the production of PEM electrolyzers. The reduction in iridium is seen as a key enabler to a more stable supply of MEA and support the scale expansion of green hydrogen production.
The partnership calls for Bekaert to undertake commercialization of MEA production, leveraging its global network and established manufacturing base in Belgium, to serve its hydrogen customers. Toshiba will license its iridium-saving MEA technology to Bekaert, granting them the ability to manufacture and distribute MEAs. Meanwhile, Toshiba will focus on further enhancing its technical performance of the technology. The agreement is global, with the exception of Japan-related projects, which will be subject to a separate agreement.
“Bekaert is a leading player in the development of green hydrogen production and is therefore delighted to partner with Toshiba on the industrialization and commercialization of this innovative new PEM MEA technology,” commented Inge Schildermans, Senior Vice-President of Bekaert’s Energy Transition business, about the collaboration. “Furthermore, we are delighted to be able to offer this to our green hydrogen customers and help them achieve their cost and sustainability challenges. Bekaert is establishing itself as a green hydrogen technology and industrialization partner, helping the electrolyzer industry to scale and deliver the energy transition.” For more info, see www.bekaert.com.
